


(a place) in your arms

by boneswrites



Series: Good Things Happen Bingo [1]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Comfort, Cuddles, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Established Relationship, Good Things Happen Bingo, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Soft Carlos Reyes, Soft Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, TK Strand Needs A Hug, Team as Family, there's so much comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29006166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boneswrites/pseuds/boneswrites
Summary: After TK has a tough shift, Carlos shows him a special place.Good Things Happen Bingo Prompt:Tarlos + secret haven
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Owen Strand, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Owen Strand & TK Strand
Series: Good Things Happen Bingo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2127894
Comments: 20
Kudos: 179





	(a place) in your arms

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So its been a few lifetimes since I've written and I've been meaning to get back to it. So I thought that taking prompts for Good Things Happen Bingo is a good way to start! I've had a great time writing this, and I hope you guys enjoy the comfort! I haven't stretched my writing muscles in a long while so I hope this turned out good. Feedback is always greatly appreciate!

The 126 had a pretty bad shift. That would be putting it lightly, though. It was one of those shifts where nothing went according to plan, where there seemed to be a wedge somewhere that no one was able to figure out. Let alone solve and allow everything to run smoothly. No, it was a pretty rough shift. 

TK would even go as far as saying it was the worst shift he’s worked in Austin. In the past, some shifts were a mix of good calls and bad ones, but at the end of each one, TK would leave promising to be better next time, to learn from what happened on those difficult and challenging calls. That’s all part of the job, and something TK is very keen about: always learn from past mistakes, his own and others’ mistakes, as well. 

But the thing is, during this particular shift, no mistakes were made, no new challenges surfaced that couldn’t be dealt with right then and there. They were all exactly where they were meant to be, at the moment they were meant to be there, every time. And yet, somehow that wasn’t enough. Only one call had gone in their favor. One call in twenty-four hours filled with the sound of the bell echoing throughout the firehouse. 

Heaviness. It’s the heaviest TK has felt in a long time as he dragged his feet towards the showers at the end of the shift, and with all the energy he could muster, he set the water temperature a tad hotter than he normally does. He stands there, under the strong spray of water, his eyes closed as he feels the drops collide with his body, feels it roll down his skin just to be replaced with more water. He shivers, despite the warmth now surrounding him. He suspects it has nothing to do with the temperature. But he doesn’t move a muscle, he just stands there as the shower stall fogs up.

For the first time since he moved to Austin, he’s so drained he can’t even bring himself to think about the next shift. He loves his job, knowing fully in his heart that this is what he’s meant to be doing, but right now all he wants to do is go home and sleep wrapped in Carlos’s arms.

*****

Carlos arrives at the firehouse just as everyone starts filing out the bay doors. It was one of the days his and TK’s shifts ended at the same time and he usually picks TK up when that happens. From what he’s heard from Michelle, or more accurately from Michelle’s texts, is that they’ve had quite a bad shift, so he treads lightly. He had exchanged some quick texts with TK, making sure his boyfriend was doing okay in between calls and since it was also a busy day at the PD, Carlos himself couldn’t text much.

He looks around, but not seeing his best friends, he gathers she already left to get some much-needed sleep. He then spots Paul, Mateo and Marjan walking side by side, all of their expressions somber as they silently exit the firehouse. He gives them a supportive nod, which they return. Carlos then pats Paul’s shoulder as the other man walks past him and Paul looks grateful for the contact.

_No words needed,_ Carlos thinks. 

His name being called out grabs his attention.

“Hey, Carlos.” 

Carlos directs his attention back to the house and sees Owen walking towards him, holding Buttercup’s leash as the dog trots next to him. 

“Hey, Owen,” Carlos replies. “I heard about the shift, I’m sorry.” 

Owen shrugs, coming to a stop in front of Carlos and Buttercup stands beside him, giving Carlos a smile. 

Carlos ruffles the dog’s fur in response. 

“It’s all right, it happens. But listen—” Owen is interrupted by the sound of feet coming down the stairs behind them.

They both look over to see a very exhausted TK stumbling down the steps, his backpack thrown over a shoulder, wearing jeans and his iconic yellow hoodie. His hair is a mess, and Carlos knows that means TK just ran a towel through it to dry it up and decided that was enough. 

Once at the bottom of the staircase, TK looks in the direction of the two men, immediately spotting his dad and boyfriend. He locks eyes with Carlos, not breaking their eye contact and there’s so much grief and weariness drawn in those green irises it breaks Carlos’s heart. He only looks back at Owen as the older man continues speaking. 

“Take care of him,” Owen says. “He’s taking it pretty hard.”

“Of course,” Carlos nods. “Anything I can do to help.”

“You do help a lot,” Owen replies, a half smile pulling on his face. “Let me know if you boys need anything.” 

TK is standing next to them as soon as Owen finishes his sentence. 

“It’s going to be okay, son,” Owen says as he wraps his arms around TK in a tight hug. 

TK returns the hug, nodding into Owen’s shoulder and closing his eyes. 

Owen gives TK a comforting squeeze and pulls back. “You take care of yourself.” 

Buttercup is now on his feet, his attention completely turned to TK. 

TK looks down, Carlos notices a ghost of a smile passes over his face as he bends down to kiss the dog’s head, running his fingers through the soft, thick fur.

“Goodnight, boys,” Owen bids them goodbye and claps Carlos gently on his back as he walks away. 

TK and Carlos turn to watch Owen walk to his truck, open the backseat door for Buttercup as the dog hops in. Owen waves at them before getting into the driver’s seat and driving away.

Carlos turns to look at TK, and TK’s face crumbles in an instant, his eyes filling with tears faster than a dam breaks. It seems the younger man was doing his best to keep it together for his dad, but now since they’re practically the only ones left standing in the firehouse, TK lets it all go.

“Hey, come here,” Carlos whispers, not wasting a second in pulling TK close and holding him against his chest, arms tightly tucked around TK’s shaking body. 

Carlos feels TK’s hands gripping the back of his t-shirt, balling the material into his fists. A lifeline for TK, Carlos suspects, something to hold on to. 

“It’s okay, you’re okay, babe,” Carlos continues whispering softly against TK’s ear. “I’m here, you’re not alone.” 

TK’s response is tightening his hold on Carlos, wanting nothing more than to disappearing into the taller man’s strong and sturdy frame. He swallows the big lump in his throat, taking in a few deep breaths and letting them out slowly.

Carlos doesn’t know how long they stand there, wrapped around each other and he doesn’t really care. He meant what he said to Owen, he’ll do anything he can to help TK feel better.

Once TK is certain his knees won’t buckle beneath him and gathers some strength, he pulls back but doesn’t remove his hands from Carlos’s arms. 

Carlos reaches out a hand, wiping away at the tear streaks staining TK’s cheek with his thumb, and TK immediately leans into the gentle touch. 

“Let’s go home,” TK finally speaks, his voice barely above a whisper. 

“We will, but there’s somewhere I want to take you first,” Carlos replies.

TK’s shoulder slump at Carlos’s words. “Carlos…” 

TK is about to protest but the words stop short on the tip of his tongue at the expression he’s getting from Carlos’s brown eyes. Carlos’s eyes radiate love, affection and most importantly for TK in this moment: safety.

“I promise, it’s going to help,” Carlos adds. 

That’s all TK needs to hear. He sighs, nodding.

“Here, let me,” Carlos says as he reaches out to take TK’s backpack, lifting it off his shoulder and placing it over his own.

He can tell TK is struggling to even carry his own weight, and even though TK’s backpack isn’t heavy, it’s most likely dragging TK down in the firefighter’s current state.

Carlos feels TK’s appreciation as the younger man holds his hand, intertwining their fingers together.

“Ready?”

TK nods again. 

They get into the Camaro, Carlos putting TK’s backpack in the backseat and they both buckle up, Carlos starts the engine and pulls away from the firehouse.

Soft music suddenly fills the car and it takes TK a moment to figure out it’s playing from his phone. He looks over at Carlos to see a small smile on his face. And then he puts it together. Carlos’s bluetooth connection is connected to TK’s phone, and it’s TK who often plays music in the car when he rides with Carlos. The car had picked up TK’s phone being near and started playing the track TK was last listening to. 

“I can switch it off, if you want,” Carlos says. Out of experience, he knows TK’s head is all over the place, going in different directions, thoughts scattered and any external stimuli can overwhelm him even more. Even if it is this calming melody. 

But TK is shaking his head. “No, it’s okay. It’s nice.” 

Carlos nods, the car coming to a stop at a red light. 

It’s then Carlos looks over to TK, and it’s him that reaches for TK’s hand this time. 

TK grips Carlos’s hand and they don’t break their contact even when the light turns green and Carlos is stepping on the gas petal.

TK stares out the window as the city passes by in the blur. Soon, Austin’s buildings are getting smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror, eventually disappearing as the busy streets of the city are replaced with open fields and an endless horizon.

“Where are we going?” TK asks.

“Just…trust me,” Carlos replies. 

“I trust you.”

Carlos smiles at that.

A few minutes later, Carlos is turning onto a gravel road, it looks pretty used but that doesn’t mean TK doesn’t feel the vibrations of the tires driving over the small stones. 

He frowns, not really seeing anything at first and then slowly, down the road, it comes into view.

A beautiful wood cabin. 

TK turns to look at Carlos and then back at the cabin, which is getting closer. 

Carlos parks next to it, turning off the engine and getting out, TK following him. 

TK takes a deep breath as the cold breeze collides with his face, and it feels refreshing. The city doesn't get this kind of breeze, and TK already feels a little better. 

Up close, the cabin shines in all its beauty. Golden hour had started, and the rays of sun bounce off the windows in a way that’s magical, blending with the raw wood defines the word _home_. 

“Carlos, it’s beautiful,” TK says, running his eyes over the cabin.

“It really is,” he agrees, the smile still wide on his face. “Come on, there’s more.”

TK takes Carlos’s extended hand and lets the cop lead him around the small house, coming to a stop on the other side, where there are two chairs placed on the terrace and TK notices a path stretching out into the horizon. His eyes follow it until they land on water. 

Carlos follows TK’s gaze. “It’s a lake,” he supplies. “The water is amazing.” 

“Whose is this?” TK asks.

“Mine,” Carlos simply replies.

TK’s eyes go wide at Carlos’s answer, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead. 

Carlos chuckles. “Yeah, I know. I stumbled on this cabin during my first year at the Academy. It was a tough day and I decided to just…drive. Didn’t really know where I was going, I just hit the open road and the next thing I knew, I saw this.”

Carlos moves so he’s standing behind TK, he wraps his arms around the firefighter and holds him close, hugging him from behind and TK instantly leans back against Carlos’s strong chest, placing his arms over Carlos’s. 

Carlos rests his chin on TK’s shoulder as he continues. “It was empty, no furniture, nothing. So I started asking around, I also checked public records and asked around some more until eventually I found the lady who owns it. Really nice old lady, I told her everything and next thing I knew, she was offering it to me, said she didn’t really have the energy for the upkeep of this place.”

“Oh, wow.”

“Yeah. She didn’t want any money right away, knowing I was still in the Academy, but I insisted. I had some money saved up from summer jobs I had worked so I gave her some. And after I graduated and starting working, I paid her every month until I covered all the costs and fixed it up myself.”

“She sounds lovely,” TK says.

“She is,” Carlos replies. “She came to my graduation. We talk on the phone to catch up. She worries about me, I tell her everything is fine and I update her on the cabin, too.”

TK moves his head so he can see Carlos as best he could in their position and gives his boyfriend a smile and Carlos brushes a kiss to TK’s head. 

“You know,” Carlos starts, “I think I found this place when I needed it the most. I can’t really explain it, but there’s a sense of peace that just takes you over when you’re here. Those days were really hard, my early Academy days. The pressure, the getting used to it…and my family, they’ve always been supportive, proud too, but there was tension then. They were worried about me becoming a cop, and I understand it, but there were times when I couldn’t go home for days. I knew I had to perform, to be the best, to make them proud. But some days, it was hard. And I thought I wouldn't be able to handle it…”

TK tightens his hold on Carlos, anchoring him now. 

“That’s why I think I was destined to find this place, it really breathed a breath of fresh air into my soul, and gave me my strength back. I can’t explain it, but I feel like I’m on cloud nine when I’m here. Any day I would be feeling down or after any bad day, I would come here. And I would leave feeling much better. I’d leave feeling lighter,” Carlos voices. 

Carlos pulls back, using his hands to turn TK around so that they’re facing each other. Brown and green connect, they gaze into each other, gates directly leading to hearts and souls filled with affection. Carlos lifts his arms and tenderly cups TK’s face.

“This place is my **secret haven**. My safe haven. And now it’s yours, too,” Carlos expresses, a small painted on his face.

TK’s eyes widen once again at Carlos’s declaration, his heart swelling in his chest with so much love and warmth, it brings tears to his eyes. 

He closes his eyes and leans forward, resting his forehead against Carlos’s and they stay like that, just feeling each other, basking in each other’s presence, breathing together.

TK sniffs as they pull apart and Carlos looks alarmed for a moment before TK is waving his hand.  
“No, no, these are happy tears this time,” TK chuckles wetly. 

Carlos visibly relaxes. “I mean it.”

“And that,” TK places a hand on Carlos’s cheek, rubbing at the one-day stubble with his thumb, “truly means the world to me. I already love it here. Thank you.”

Carlos’s response is closing the distance between them with a soft kiss, pouring everything into it. And TK reciprocates in kind.

*****

Later, after getting some food and deciding to spend the night at the cabin (and it helped that the cabin is being equipped with everything they need), Carlos gets into bed and grabs his phone, the bathroom sink faucet running in the background as TK washes up before getting into bed himself.

Carlos opens his chat with Owen and types a quick text.

_Carlos: [10:18 PM] Hey, Owen. Wanted to send you a quick update. TK is doing okay. Everything is fine, don’t worry. Hope you have a good night._

His phone pings a minute later.

_Owen: [10:19 PM] Thanks for the update. And thanks for taking care of him. Hope you boys have a good night, too._

Carlos is locking his phone and plugging it into the charger when TK emerges from the bathroom, narrowing his eyes at his boyfriend.

“Yes, yes,” Carlos chuckles, putting his hands up in surrender, “I just texted your dad.”

TK playfully rolls his eyes and throws the bedcover to side as he gets into bed. 

“He was really worried about you,” Carlos supplies. 

TK settles in and covers himself with the bedcover. It’s a pretty warm night but he needs the added comfort of the fluffy blanket. “Yeah, I know.” 

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No…I don’t know,” TK sighs, shaking his head. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Carlos nods. “Whenever you’re ready. Just promise me something?”

“Anything.”

“Don’t keep it bottled up. I’m not going to push you to talk, you don’t even have to talk to me about it, but please, talk to someone, when you’re ready,” Carlos pleads. 

“I promise. For now, sleep sounds pretty good,” TK says.

“That we can do,” Carlos assures him.

They take a moment to get comfortable, ending up with Carlos on his back, his arm around TK’s shoulder with TK settling on his side, his head cushioned on Carlos’s chest and his arm draped over the taller man’s middle. 

“You wanna know something?”

Carlos hums. 

TK lifts his head so he’s looking into Carlos’s beautiful eyes. “This place is breathtaking and all, and I do love it and what it represents, but you’re my safe haven, too.”

Carlos’s face breaks into a blinding smile, and he moves so he can plant a kiss to TK’s forehead. 

They fall asleep tangled together, basked in each other’s warmth and safety. 

*****

Morning comes too soon, sooner than TK would like. He can sense the sun rays beaming into the room through the curtains, and he lets out a muffled groan, nuzzling his face further into Carlos’s neck. He hears a soft chuckle, telling him his boyfriend is awake. 

“How long have you been awake?” TK mumbles, half the letters eaten by his sleepy state. 

“Good morning to you, too,” Carlos replies. “And I haven’t been awake for too long.”

TK opens one eyes, squinting at Carlos. “Watching me sleep?” 

“Guilty,” Carlos chuckles again. 

TK plants a kiss to the closets part of Carlos he could reach, which happens to be his neck. 

“You feeling better?”

TK nods. “I am. I still feel…heavy. But I can breathe.” 

Carlos presses a kiss to TK’s lips. 

And on cue, both their stomachs rumble.

“It’s safe to say it’s breakfast time. And seeing that we can’t really cook here right now, we could head back and have breakfast at your favorite spot in town,” Carlos suggests.

TK moves to stretch his arms, sniffling a yawn before he speaks. “That does sound really good. But I also think it would be a waste to come all the way out here and not take a dip in the lake. It looks really inviting,” he proposes.

Carlos entertains the idea for a few moments.

“You know what,” Carlos smiles, “a swim sounds perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm marwankenzari on tumblr!


End file.
